World’s Smallest Wild Cat Kittens Born in UK Sanctuary

Prepare to have your mind blown with how incredibly adorable this pair of super-rare wild kittens are! They were born recently at the Porfell Wildlife Park and Sanctuary in the UK.

Porfell Wildlife Park and Sanctuary | rusty-spotted wild cat kitten

Pair of Rarest, Smallest Cats in the World Born in UK Wildlife Sanctuary

Just imagine a newborn kitten that is no smaller than a mouse. That’s exactly the case when it comes to the rusty-spotted cat, which is known as the smallest species of wild cat in the world.

Even when these wild cats become fully grown, they only measure around 13 and 19 inches in length. The wild cat species comes from Sri Lanka, Nepal, and India, but thanks to a loss of habitat, they are now considered to be “Near Threatened” on the IUCN Red List. The list tracks endangered animals.

This pair of newborn kittens were born at the Portfell Wildlife Park and Sanctuary, which is located near Lanreath. They were born as part of an ongoing conservation program that goes by the name… wait for it… the “Rusty Spotted Cat Conservation Breeding Programme.”

Sanctuary Waited for Just the Right Time to Share the New Tiny Wild Cat Cubs

When the Porfell Wildlife Park and Sanctuary shared the first photos of their adorable new cubs, they decided to wait until the perfect time to do so. They recently posted the photos along with an important message:

“As most of you know, we are a sanctuary for unwanted/surplus animals and do not actively take part in breeding. However, we had a spare enclosure last summer and were given the opportunity to take on a pair of rusty-spotted cats. To our knowledge they are two of only around 40 in captivity across the world, so we were excited about the opportunity.

“We’ve been waiting for the right moment to reveal that they have had two cubs! They are now coming up for 8 weeks and starting to explore their surroundings with mum. She has done a fabulous job at raising them and continues to be very protective of them, so we are unsure of their gender.

“We are over the moon with the new babies as the majority of our animals are old and here for retirement. As we are well into the 6th week of lockdown we wanted to share some positive news with you all! Thank you for your ongoing support, we hope you can all visit us and the cubs soon.”

In a move that surprised no one, the wild kitten cubs very quickly became viral, much to the Sanctuary’s delight. They posted an update saying how speechless they were at all of the attention the kittens have received.

If you would like to help support animals in their care, the Porfell Wildlife Park and Sanctuary currently has a GoFundMe set up. They’re asking for donations to help cover various needs relating to the animals while the coronavirus forces them to remain closed at this time.